Apparatus for casting metals.



No. 633,326. Patented Sept. 19,1899.

w. E. MAY. 'APFARATUS ron CASTING METALS.

(Appficution filed Aug. 12, 1897.)

3 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

ma mums F'ETERS ca. PNOTO-LII'NO,WASHINGTON, n. c

No. 633.326. Patented Sept. [9,1899. W. E. MAY.

APPARATUS FOR CASTING METALS.

(Application filed Aug. 12, 1897.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets$heet 2.

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N07 633,326. Patented Sept. |9, I899.

W. E. MAY.

APPARATUS FOR CASTING METALS.

(Applicatimm filed Aug. 12, 1897.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Fig. 3.

THE Norms rzrzns co, PHOTO LITNQ., WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED STATES:

PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM ELLIS MAY, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE ELLIS MAY VACUUM STEEL SYNDICATE, LIMITED, OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FoR CASTING METALS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 633,326, dated September 19, 1899.

Applicationfiled August 12, 1897. Serial No. 648,061. (No model.)

To to whom, z' b nzcty concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM ELLIS MAY, a subject of tlieQue'en of Great Britain,residin'g at Bromley, London, in thecounty'of Kent, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Oa'sti'ngMe'tal's, (for which I have obtained patents in France, No. 264,642, dated March 3, 1897, and in Belgium, No. 126,877, dated March 10, 1897,) of Which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one form in which I have contemplated "embodying my invention, and said invention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of an apparatus for casting metal embodying my invention, a part of the top of the vacuumchamber being removed. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. is a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2, drawn to a larger scale.

a represents the vacuum-chamber, which is preferably sunk in the ground "to a depth equal to the height of the sides of the chamber and having a pipe a connected therewith, leading to a vacuum-producing apparatus (not shown) for creating a working vacuu in in said chamber. The pipe ais provided with a valve a controlling the same.

b represents the removable top of the vacuum-chamb'er, which is provided with flanges c c, which-rest upon similar flanges formed on the side Walls of the chamber, and packing (Z is placed between said flanges to form an air-tight connection. The weight of the top or coverb is sufficient to hold it in place, and when the air is exhausted from the vacuum chamber there is an additional pressure of the atmosphere thereon of fifteen pounds to thesquar'e inch, so that no nieans'for holding the cover in place are essential.

b b are glazed sight-holes in the top or cover I) to'enable the operation proceeding Within the vacuum-chamber to be observed.

fis a ladle for containing the molten metal before it is run into the mold, the said ladle being located outside of the vacuum-chamber and having a discharge-aperture f'-'c'ommunicating with said chamber,. said aperture being closed normally by a plug 01' valve f which is raisedbysuitable mechanism, as by hand-levers f (See Fig. 3.)

The vacui'im-chamber a is provided adjacent to the top with a laterally extending recess or vestibule a the upper part of which is provided with a circular aperture a to receive the ladle f, said aperture being surrounded by a horizontal flange a The side Walls of ladle f are provided with a horizontal flange f to engage the flange a and packing may be inserted between the flanges to produce a tight joint. No fastening means are required to secure the flanges together, owing to the Weight of the ladle and, further, the atmospheric pressure thereon when the air is exhausted from the vacuum-chamber a and its vestibule a h is a runner or trough extending from the discharge-aperture of the ladle Within the Vacuum-chamber to the inlet-aperture of the inold.

i is the mold, which in this instance is adapted for the casting of armor-plate and consists of four blocks or plates so placed as to form a rectangular cavity within the same, said blocks j j being clamped together by cross-plates j'j on opposite sides of the mold and bolts j connecting said plates. The bottom on of the vacuum-chamber'is preferably inclined, so that the mold will be supported in an inclined position. The mold is i open at bothends and is provided with an inlet 75 at its highest point for the ad mission of the molten metal and for the expulsion of the impurities thereof, as hereinafter described. The end of the mold farthest from the inlet is closed by a head 7c-, which is operatively connected by means of a piston-rod Z with a hydraulic or other press Z, by means of which the head can be moved along the bottom of the vacuum-chamber to the end of the mold. At the opposite end of the mold is a plunger 70, working in the mold and closing the end of the same adjacent to the inlet, so that the molten metal enters the mold immediately in front of the plunger.

hydraulic or other press 12, and said press at is connected by rods 17. with the head said rods extending through apertures in said head. Each of the rods n is provided near its end with a series of annular undercut grooves, as indicated at 0%, Figs. 1 and 2, and

The plunger k is connected with the piston of athe rear face of the head is provided with a pair of separable vertically-m ovable clamp-- in g-blocks n nisurrounding each of said rods at. These clam ping-blocks are each recessed to fit around half of the rod n and provided with annular projections for engaging and interlocking with the annular grooves n On each side of the head 10 I provide a pair of vertically-disposed screw-shafts n of, extending down ward through two pairs of clamping blocks 71 n and having oppositelythreaded portions n or, engaging suitablythreaded aperturesin the blocks of each pair. The upper end of each screw'shaft n is provided with a pinion a and between the pinions at a of each pairof shafts W n is a driving-pinion n on a driving-shaft a which is operated by arms a 'n or equivalent mechanism. By turning one of the driving-shafts n the two adjacent screw-shafts n n will be rotated, thereby causing the pairs of clamping-blocks actuated thereby to close upon the rods 11/ n or to recede therefrom. When itis desired to adjust the head 71: the arms 91* will be operated to rotate the driving-shafts n 'n so as to release all the pairs of clampingblocks from the rods 02 it, when the head can be moved longitudinally, as desired, on the bottom of the vacuum-chamber. After adjusting the head the pairs of clamping-blocks will be caused to come together around the grooved portions of the rods n n, thus securelylocking thehead againstoutward movement.

This mechanism constitutes an adjusting device for the head k which operatesin conjunction with the auxiliary press Z, and by means of this adjusting mechanism and the rods 01' the head is rigidly secured with respect to the main press a.

When the casting is run, the ladle f is filled with molten metal, the air is exhausted from the vacuum-chamber, and the plug f is lifted to allow the metal to flow into the runner h and thence to the inlet k of the mold. The foreign gases in the metal and any air carried in with it will escape into the vacuumchamber and be withdrawn therefrom, so that there can be no bubbles in the completed casting. \Vhen the mold is full, the impurities in the metal, which are lighter than the metal itself, will accumulate in front of the plunger adjacent to the inlet of the mold. The main press 91 is then operated, and as the plunger 70 moves inward it displaces and forces out through the inlet a portion of the molten metal, thus driving out all of the impurities, and when the plunger has moved a short distance it will have closed the inlet of the mold. The pressure of the plunger is continued and the metal is compressed to an extent equal to the amount which it will contract while cooling. The casting is then allowed to cool, and it will be found to be homogeneous in structure and absolutely free not only from blow-holes,but also from impurities, and the tedious and expensive process of cutting off the impure portions of the casting, which would otherwise be necessary, is entirely avoided, as the said impurities are practically out off while the metal is in a molten state, as heretofore described.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an apparatus for casting metal, the combination with a Vacuum-chamber, of a mold located therein provided with an inlet for molten metal at its highest point, a movable plunger working in said mold located adjacent to said inlet and closing one end of said mold, means for operating said plunger and means for introducing metal to said inlet from the outside of the vacuum-chamber whereby the gases in the molten metal will escape from the metal into said vacuumchamber and the first movement of the plunger will expel the impurities in the metal from the mold and close said inlet, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for casting metal, the combinationwith a vacuum-chamber, of a mold located therein, having an open end and an inlet for the molten metal at the highest point of the mold, a plunger closing the open end of said mold, adapted to work in the mold, and located adjacent to the said inlet, a ladle located outside the vacuum-chamber and having a discharge-opening within said chamber, a trough extending from said ladle, within said chamber, to the said inlet, whereby the gases in the molten metal will escape therefrom into the vacuum-chamber before reaching the mold, and the impuritiesin the metal will collect at the highest part of the mold adjacent to the said inlet, and means for operating said plunger to expel said impurities through the said inlet, to close said inlet and exert a compression upon the metal while it is cooling, equal to the contraction of the metal, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus for casting metal, the combination with the vacuum-chamber, of a mold located therein open at both ends, and having an inlet for molten metal at its highest point, a head for closing the end of said mold farthest from the said inlet, a plunger working in said mold and closing the end of the mold adjacent to the said inlet, means for introducing molten metal to said inlet from the outside of said mold, a main press for operating said plunger, an auxiliary press for moving said head and adjustable connections between said main press and said head, whereby the gases in the molten metal will escape therefrom into the vacuum-chamber, and the first movement of the said plunger will expel the impurities collecting adjacent to said inlet and close the inlet, substantially as described.

\VILLI AM ELLIS M AY.

VVit-nesses:

G; F. REDFERN, O. G. REDFERN. 

